E-Ticket Series ~ 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Ariel 1236

This is the seventh article are about the E-Ticket rides. For those of us too young to remember, the E-Ticket was the most coveted ticket in the ticket book a guest would buy. E-Tickets were for the biggest and best rides in the park. In June 1982 the ‘ticket’ system was replaced with the current system.

E-Ticket: Nothing to See Here

This is an attraction Edward can only ride in his head, since it has been closed for renovation since September 1994 and never reopened. He really loved 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, all 11.5 million gallons. The Attraction was so large it took up 25% of Fantasyland. To give you an idea of just how big that is, the land currently holds, Journey of the Little Mermaid, Be Our Guest, Bonjour! Village Girls, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster, and the land between them.

Edward being a conspiracy theory buff looked into why the attraction closed, and wow did he find some conspiracies. The largest one was that maintenance was costly and frequent, some estimate into the $10,000 range yearly. It was just as costly sitting there empty. Many say that a special run with the heads of the Magic Kingdom was sabotaged, the worst experienced was given. So of course the officials would not want guests having the same experiences.

{I even had a part in them. I was a cast member in late 2004. I always wanted to experience the attraction, but it was never open when I got to visit. I thought that being a cast member would give me the best chance to catch the ride when it was open. I was disappointed to find out that it was closed for good. After telling my training cast member, she was able to take me to the top of the building where guests would meet and greet with Ariel to see the mostly empty lagoon. It broke my heart but I knew I was getting to see a sight few others had seen. The lagoon was 90% empty, the water was dirty, and the sides had mold on them.

I was told that the paint used to cover the walls, props, and subs had lead in it. So much lead the water would be poisonous. Apparently the lagoon had been emptied and repainted several times but the lead levels could never be brought down to safe levels. There was rumor that the lead seeped into the ground but I find that unlikely. I never saw it again, since I didn’t have the clearance to get there.}

None the less Edward really liked, and missed that ride.*

*As always I must give credit where it is due. Thank you goes to 20kride.com.